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My crazy busy Aussie Winter!

I am sorry it's been a while. A one-legged soccer player and a three-legged crazy poodle have been taking up much of my time Down Under. The dog is off his anti-inflammatories and daughter number two is out of her moon boot and the crutches have gone. Roll on the end of the football season and getting everyone as fit and healthy as normal I say!

August is a great month in Melbourne, the worst of the winter is behind us, the days are getting longer and the strength is building in the sunshine. Good news for Melbournians, bad news for the farmers of New South Wales and Queensland, who desperately need some rain to break our terrible drought.

On a cheerier note, all around me, the yellow wattle trees are bursting forth. It's the Australian version of 'a host of golden daffodils fluttering and dancing in the breeze'.

Isn't it gorgeous?

My slower pace of life in Australia gives me time for strength and renewal after a frenetic life constantly on the move. I love being home. It always seems to involve a lot of cooking and cleaning but I find, and channel, an inner domestic goddess and enjoy it.

I am tackling life with all the gusto of a slightly crazy lucky bird,

who's had the combined blessings of the warmth of vitality from a European summer and the cool perk-me-up charm of the not-so-chilly Aussie winter.

They say Winter is generally a time to quieten the mind,

stay by the fire, still the soul and

say yes to friends who invite you to join them for a yoga retreat.

Oh what a wonderful afternoon we had, wrapped snug a blanket, gently maneuvering our bodies into various rejuvenating poses, immersed in aromatic smells and surrounded by flickering candles, flowers and...

I should have read the small print. We are invited to write down everything we needed to cleanse from our lives and take them outside to burn. To rid our souls of all that holds us back.

I was fascinated by how the other women in the circle pounced on this great call-to-action. The more they wrote and wrote, and even asked for more paper, the more distracted I became...

Oh, rats! It's the yogic nightmare equivalent of those management team ice-breakers that start with:

'Please introduce yourself to the group

and say something interesting about yourself that no one here knows!'

and I've gone blank!

Just as I'm thinking I'm gonna have to fake it, otherwise I'm looking like my life is way too perfect, they remind us that all activities are optional.

Phew great.

The last exercise of the day is a spiral of intent. On Melbourne's lush winter grass, a red spiral covered in flowers greets us. At the centre, a large candle flickers and draws you in.

Maybe it was the chocolate covered strawberry high, but I'm off with all the gusto of a little Wren welcoming some grounding in her frenetic world.

I'm not staying on my safe, protected yoga mat.

Oh no, I'm off to spiral into this big wide world!

We are invited to choose something that speaks to us from the garden. Having found a stone with interesting speckled black dots on it, we are each directed to walk barefoot with intent around the spiral to the very epicentre of our lives.

There we will leave our chosen item, and with it, those aspects of our world that we wish to move on from.

At this stage I'm thinking the slash and burn version of sorting out your life might have been easier and again wondering was this what I signed up for?!

However, never let it be said that your Little Wren is not up for a nice wander!

At the spiral's central bulge, next to the candle I find some discarded leaves, a twig and a pile of other stones.

I am not alone. I'm surrounded by Melbourne women who have thrown themselves into their spiral of self-care.

Who loves these things? I do!!!

All the while one of the yoga teachers has her back to us and is rhythmically drumming. It's a surreal suburbs experience. I feel like I am in a wonderful movie of my life.

Of course, now I have shared this story with my Aussie friends, everyone wants to come round for a spiraling, slash and burning session! They are full of things for me (and them!) to burn and be rid of, life starting with Haha a Bangkok Apartment. The great thing was I had completely forgotten all about this misery. Happy days.

The other good news is that we are not in a total fire ban at present and we do know the Firey's are close by and very reactive. We came across this rubbish truck on fire the other day in the park which was being quickly extinguished amidst much foam and sirens blaring.

Of course, the news quickly spread around the streets and my friends quick to tease...

Was that you Wren

burning down the neighbourhood after your yoga cleanse?!

Before I go, I need your help. We have been developing my new look at Littlewanderingwren.com and would love your opinions. Here is my new header - let me know what you think!

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Hello dear friends in Blogland. How are you doing?
I am pleased to be here for Friendship Friday
I've had a great week and have well and truly settled back into my Asian life
where I am enjoying making new friends both locally and in here in the blogosphere.

I've had fun, I have joined a new group - the American Women's Club of Thailand.
Why the American's when you're a British Aussie? You may well ask. Well firstly they take anyone, these Expat women's groups really are not that fussy!

Well, except for the ANZWG Group where you need to be closely associated with Australia and New Zealand. I am, I have the passport and I have a family, home and of course an Aussie Crazy Poodle Down Under and I miss my Melbourne life terribly, but my life in Thailand is more about meeting women from around the globe.

I have always had lots of American friends, I chat with many Americans via my blog...

... anyway they let this little bird in and she's chirpy about that! The…